


The Ball in Your Court

by mrwonderwoman (saete)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Early Days, M/M, Pre-Slash, Team Dynamics, mild pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-19 21:37:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20664188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saete/pseuds/mrwonderwoman
Summary: Garrett chuckles, “It’s okay. Phil and I have been pals for a long time but I know what he’s like: everything by the book, paperwork filed in triplicate,” Garrett gestures with his glass and singsongs the list to underscore the monotony, “stickler for the rules, no time to joke around…"Clint knows what other people see when they look at or think of Coulson and it’s what they expect to see. He’s just surprised that Garrett’s fallen for it, considering how long the two of them are supposed to have known each other for.





	The Ball in Your Court

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Making a Play](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1487875) by [Ralkana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralkana/pseuds/Ralkana). 

> In line with the original fic, this takes place between 5 and 10 years prior to Thor (2011).
> 
> Thanks to Ralkana for writing the original story! The ideas came easily with all that good original content, and this was really fun to play with.

They call it a winning smile for a reason, the kind he’s been wearing all evening. The kind that gets people to like you.

His sharp work and quick banter have been doing a well enough job lately, but Clint knows the attitude check he’d had shortly after being paired with Coulson has done a lot of heavy lifting with buying him tolerance and in general within SHIELD social circles.

He wants people to like him.

It’s easy enough to laugh as Garrett finishes another story – this one less outlandish; easier to believe than some of the others from the night before.

“Why don’t you go get us another round?” he says to Ward, casually. But it sounds more like an order than a request to Clint, especially with whatever hint of a look that is on Garrett’s face. The mirrored hint of understanding on Ward’s reinforces the impression. Ward gets up and heads to the counter, and Clint finishes the last bit that’s still in his cup.

Garrett clears his throat.

“So, Barton,” he starts. And oh, here it is. The non-social element Clint has been wondering about since a little after they’d sat down tonight. It hadn’t exactly felt like the relaxed get-to-know-you Garrett had been trying to paint it as since he proposed it.

“How have you liked working with Coulson?”

The past tense seems really obvious. And particularly strange. 

Clint picks up his beer again. “I like it just fine, sir.”

Present tense.

“Come on, I told you – it’s Garrett.”

Clint nods once, “Garrett,” he corrects. Not _John_, but even Ward doesn’t call him _John_. Clint hasn’t heard anyone call him by his first name to his face yet.

“Be honest with me though,” Garrett says, an imperative and an effort to elicit Clint’s trust at once. “A guy like you working with a guy like Coulson? It’s gotta get boring sometimes.”

“Sir?”

Garrett chuckles, “It’s okay. Phil and I have been pals for a long time but I know what he’s like: everything by the book, paperwork filed in triplicate,” Garrett gestures with his drink and singsongs the list to underscore the monotony, “stickler for the rules, no time to joke around…"

Clint knows what other people see when they look at or think of Coulson and part of why it works is that it’s what they expect to see. He’s just surprised that Garrett’s fallen for it, considering how long the two of them are supposed to have known each other for.

“Hell, Phil and I have been thick as thieves since the beginning and the guy still sometimes gets on my nerves. I’ve got a, well, a looser sort of approach to asset management. ‘All work and no play,’ you know.” He drums his fingers on the side of his bottle. “The carrot’s just as important as the switch.”

He’s building unnecessarily towards something. Clint wants to tell him to spit it out already.

“But Philly’s a hardass, we all know it.” Although who ‘_we_’ is, he doesn’t specify. “He must be tough for a guy like you to get along with.”

That phrase again – ‘_a guy like you_’. Clint wonders if that’s supposed to make him feel special.

“Don’t you think you’d like a change by now?”

He says it like Clint’s been suffering for years and Garrett is confused that he hasn’t done anything about it already. But no - no, Clint hadn't thought that. Despite the vein of their conversation, Clint’s a little startled to hear Garrett even ask him.

Garrett doesn’t wait for a response though.

“Y’know, it can be very beneficial for specialists to train with multiple S.O.s.” He says it as if he’s imparting a bit of mystical wisdom instead of stating a cheap piece of common sense. It’s part of the Specialist training curriculum for Pete’s sake. “Especially one like you.” There it is again. “It’s good to get exposed to new ideas. Diversify your skill-sets, practice new techniques. Sticking to what you know is all well and good, but staying on your toes is better in my book.”

The way he says that makes Clint think there aren’t many other proverbial books that Garrett abides by aside from his own.

“You never know when you’ll want a new way of looking at things. At a place like SHIELD, that sort of mindset can come in handy.”

Clint feels like that could be a double or a triple entendre, but he isn’t really sure what Garrett could be alluding to. Maybe he’d actually have to join the group to find out.

“And it seems like a guy like you might want to work with people closer to your age,” he says like he’s riffing off of the train of Clint’s thoughts. “People who can let loose a little.”

Clint doesn’t know why Garrett seems to be making a point of this. He and Coulson really aren’t that much older than Clint. If anything, life experience makes Clint feel a lot older than some of the people at SHIELD who are the same age as him. Definitely older than Ward, who is actually younger than him and seems it.

“You’ve met my other boys, and you know Ward.”

Know is a strong word, but yeah, he’s been around Ward and Hackman and Burnley enough to get an idea of them. And while Clint is not above a Nerf battle or a good prank whenever he can get away with one, even _he_ thinks their usual behavior is a little too close to high-school bullshit. God, just their names sound bad together. Clint thinks it’s probably the kind of situation where they make each other worse. If they were naturally such assholes on their own they wouldn’t have made it this far in SHIELD as individuals.

Clint also doesn’t like the idea of being one of Garrett’s _boys_. If he’s going to belong to anyone- … He stops the thought before it can fully form.

“You’d get along great with them. And you seem like a real team player, Barton.” 

Clint almost snorts a laugh. Jeez, is this some psych tactic? Is Clint supposed to turn into what Garrett is claiming he is to try and be worthy of the mild praise?  
The only people who’ve ever described him as a team player have wanted him to do a lot of dirty work and do it without complaining. Clint wonders if he’s just saying what he thinks might appeal to Clint, or if he really hasn’t looked at all the red marks and notes about discipline in his file.

“And my team _does_ like to play,” Garrett says with a sly smile. “When was the last time you went on a mission and Coulson let you take time off afterwards to see the sights? Or better yet,” he continues, obviously not looking for a real answer, “when was the last time you had fun on an op?”

He makes it sound like SHIELD has been paying him to take continual vacations instead of do spy work.

“Phil’s always liked to keep a tight leash on his teams. But I say what’s the point of going to exotic destinations and putting your life on the line every day if you don’t make the most of it and have a little fun every now and then?”

Clint’s never really had a problem enjoying himself while he worked. But obviously Garrett doesn’t know and hasn’t considered that.

“It’s not a question of professionalism, mind you.” He taps the tabletop with his finger. “Every job is an opportunity to keep making a name for yourself. At the very least it’s a step towards your next promotion.” He curls his finger back into a fist. “I look out for my boys,” he says sternly, as if it’s an important point of pride. But it sounds like he’s looking out for things that will reflect well on himself.

The expression only holds for a moment before he loosens back up again in the shift of a moment. A smug grin takes up residence in the corner of his mouth. He strikes the tabletop with his knuckles, “So! How does that sound to you?”

Clint suddenly realizes that he’s only said a few words since Ward left the table. It’s probably the quietest he’s been all week - Garrett’s been talking the whole time. For a moment, Clint marvels at all the convincing points and emotions he’s had the appearance of going through without Clint giving him any real feedback or reactions. Clint’s response comes easily, though.

“Thanks, Garrett, but no thanks.”

The other man actually looks startled. But Clint had known the answer before Garrett even really got into it trying to convince him.

“You sure? Phil won’t hold it against you if you go looking out for yourself or for a little more thrill.” He inclines his head; a show of intimation. “Loyalty isn’t everything.”

Clint shrugs. “I’ve kind of had enough excitement in my life to last a while. I think I’ll settle for interesting and challenging for now,” he adds, because he isn’t going to leave a question of Phil’s- _Coulson’s_ honor hanging.

Garrett scrutinizes him a little. “You can take some time to think about it if you need.”

Clint had sort of expected him to bluster on ahead, or maybe dismiss his refusal. The gentle leeway seems strange. He shakes his head though. “I’m sure. No hard feelings?”

A big, good-natured laugh bursts out of Garrett, “’Course not.” He reaches out and claps Clint on the shoulder, which only makes the reaction feel tight and forced underneath the convincing exterior.

As Garrett leans back in his seat again, Clint catches the signaled look Garrett sends Ward where the man has been hovering at the bar, and Ward turns to head back to their table, his hands full of bottles.

Clint expects his return to shift the mood back to what it was. But when Ward’s sitting back down, he’s suddenly eager to talk. For all that it’s a little surprising, Clint doesn’t mind at first. It’s at least a little variety. But the stories that he tells are ones that all somehow end with a spotlight on Garrett’s many excellent qualities, or on the perfect cohesion and heartwarming camaraderie of his little asset group.

And maybe it makes sense that Garrett had planned to enlist Ward’s help in convincing him to swap over but this kinda feels like he’s been sat down and forced to watch an after-school special. Clint doesn’t think he’s ever heard Ward say so much before.

It becomes quickly apparent that this is _all_ the rest of the evening will consist of, and Clint finds himself exhausted at the prospect of having to deal with that. Garrett and Ward aren’t bad guys. They’re fun to hang out with and maybe they’ll do it again sometime, but there was obviously a point to this evening and it doesn’t seem like there’s a way out of that mentality. He times it to finish his drink when Ward ends another story, with the intention of dismissing himself, but of course, Garrett’s noticed his empty bottle and proposes another round.

Clint shakes his head, “Not for me.” He pushes his chair back and stands. “This has been fun, but I’m wiped.”

“It’s the weekend!” Garrett protests with a grin painted onto his face.

“Doesn’t change the fact that this week wore me out.” Clint puts on his winning smile again. “Thanks again for the offer,” he says, trying to leave him with some finality.

“Just say the word if you change your mind,” Garrett tells him.

Clint tries to play it off a little lightly with a laugh, but his answer is firm: “Don’t count on it.” He ignores the sudden, riled undercurrent he can feel from Garrett and read in his microexpressions, and waves before turning away from the table, “’Night, gentlemen.”

As he hits the sidewalk pavement, Clint takes a deep breath.

He’d like it if the evening’s events were to slide off him right away, but they don’t. He’s got to think them over first.

Clint doesn’t know why Garrett would be fighting so hard to win him over. Yeah, Clint’s the best, but he’s seen Ward’s shooting-range scores - they’re not bad. And from what he and Ward were saying, it seems like their team is already fleshed-out and cohesive.

And sure, maybe it could be a new kind of fun for a while to join them. But even from the stories he’s heard, it kind of just sounds like people being jerks to each other. For all the shit he pulls to make SHIELD a livelier working environment, Clint prefers a degree of safety in his little corner of it. He can dish it and he can take it, but he’s built a trust with Coulson. And that’s worth holding onto.

Besides, he’s not exactly bored with Coulson – by _any_ means.

He knows what people think of Coulson – that he’s dull and straightforward; a robot, a slave to his desk and his reports.

But Clint also knows what people think about _him_. The silly, petty, slanderous, scandalous rumors that chase him around and mock his past and attempt to predict his future. The grape vine at SHIELD is good for news but not the best for truth.

Clint knows Coulson better than any of those gossips. Anyone who isn’t a higher rank than Coulson, anyways. The conversation he’s just had with Garrett seems to fully support this impression, too. Clint still doesn’t know what to make of that.

How could anyone who has spent years with Coulson and gotten that close to the man still think he’s boring?

Sure, Coulson isn’t unpredictable. He isn’t ever going to throw Clint to the lions. But he’s safe in that he can think on his feet. His backup plans have backup plans.

Coulson doesn’t go looking for career-making ops or exotic trips. But he picks missions that are interesting and challenging enough to warrant Clint’s capabilities. He goes where he’s needed. Because he doesn’t have anything to prove.

And that’s perfect. Clint’s … happy where he is. Actually happy.

Clint doesn’t mind doing his paperwork when he gets to sit in Phil’s office on his nice couch and have Phil help him through it, even if that help is only providing company. Coulson listens – actually listens. And again, he trusts Clint – he trusts him to know his abilities and to know what to do when it comes down to it and he lets Clint do his job.

In contrast, Garrett kinda treats him like a kid. Tonight there had been something in his tone that made it sound like he thought he was offering Clint the world, and that it was a generous thing.

It runs exactly opposite to the way Coulson does him enormous favors all the time and plays it off like it’s the surest thing in the world. Like he wouldn’t think of doing anything less. Sometimes Clint likes to play a game of trying to get Coulson to admit his favors and try to catch a reaction to it behind his work-perfect veneer, and Coulson lets him do it.

Clint doesn’t think he’ll ever get anything like that out of his relationship with Garrett: easy-going exchanges, the dimensionality –- the _intimacy_, if he’s going to put a label on it. (_And isn’t that so strange for him to get to have?_)

The point Garrett had been trying to make about diverse experiences has merit, but Clint thinks Coulson does a pretty good job of that all on his own. Clint wants to stay with Coulson in part because he wants to be taken seriously as an asset and a person. Not just a one trick pony. He wants to be trained and he thinks Coulson can do that.

Coulson acts like he knows that Clint is more than his shooting. He’s been introducing Clint to people who can give him guidance, preparing him for new kinds of missions, providing him with the resources and training him to become a real spy – more than a living weapon.

Clint finds himself suddenly on his own doorstep. The walk home had gone by quickly with his mind occupied. He unlocks the door and stumbles his way through the dark to the bedroom to undress.

It’s probably a pride thing. Garrett’s pursuit of him, that is. The thought he’d had earlier comes back to him about Garrett looking out for his assets in ways that noticeably reflect well on himself.

He climbs into bed and tucks himself under the covers.

_If he’s going to belong to anyone_, he thinks as he drifts off, _he wants it to be someone who takes care of his things_. He wants to belong to Coulson.

**Author's Note:**

> Now with a [sequel](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24858439)!
> 
> **If you liked this fic you may also like:**  
[Cared For](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19145251) by [ami_ven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven)  
[Perform a Systems Check (so you don't Crash and Burn)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11079249) by [desert_neon (sproutgirl)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sproutgirl/pseuds/desert_neon) (and [Crash and Burn](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4608783) by ereshai which inspired it)  
[All the other works in this awesome collection](https://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/2019ClintCoulsonRemix) :)  



End file.
